Grip mechanism for cable-tramways.



R. D. SEYMOUR.

GRIP MEGHANISM FOR CABLE TRAMWAYS.

APPLIOATIQN FILED Ill-10.18, 1908.

Patent? Mar. 2,

IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEYS,

m: mmms PETERS :c., wumncwu, :2 c4

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFii JE,

RUGELEY D. SEYMOUR, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

GRIP MECHANISM FOR CABLE-TRAMWAYS.

No. 913,775. Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 18, 1908.

Patented March 2, 1909.

Serial No. 468,159.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUGELEY D. SEYMOUR,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the county ofDenver and State of Colorado, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Grip Mechanism for Oable-Tramways, of which the followingis a specification.

' This invention relates to gripping mechanism for attaching a load orloads to the moving traction rope of an aerial or wire rope tramway,

The object of the invention is to provide a very compact, unitarymechanism which may be readily attached to the car ad'acent to thetraction rope in such a way that it readily ad'usts itself to differentangular positions oi the rope at different points on its course oftravel.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a mechanism whichwill readily accommodate itself to different sizes of rope and difierentsized portions of the same rope.

The invention consists in a unitary structure capable of accomplishingthe foregoing object which can be easily and cheaply made and installedWVl'llClliS positive and efiicient in operation and not readily liableto get out of order; 1 7

It i'urtherconsists in combinations and arrangement-of parts which willbe hereafter more fully described'and claimed as the specificationroceeds. I

Refer'ringto the d'rawmgeflagure1 shows aside-view of-the' device-withthe jaw-s open to "receivethe? traction -'r'o'pe. Y Fig: 2 isga ie arView with all the parts'dn' thesamepos1t1on .'f

Fig; '3 is-a s'eetion throug-h thecenter on the line" a shewn Fig.- 2 11 1g; 4 is a iront viow of'the device with-e11 arts in the same fpo's'ition' as'i'n Fig sil andQ S- Fig; 5 sh wsa'tramway bucket 28 with 'bail2'7 hanger za a'nd; carriage 20"c'o'mp'lete and shows theappli a tion ndlecation of theg thecomplete-tramway': l I v 'For convenience'readily-finding do sorip'tio'n's, of the paresthey 'wilrfirst bedescribed theinnuineri'cal -order, the" numerals indicatingfas follows:1 'af oircular frame prefe'ra'bly of cast ironor steel on 5 which"; themoving parts 'aremounted:- 2 -the upper gripping "jawfl 3the' flowergripping jaw. 4-an operating lever "con-' nectedto thelowerqjaw=3 'andtothe links 5. 5'5 6 a pin, or pivot for the operating lever '49 tie -ii7-a pin connecting the operating lever 4 and links 5. 8-cast extensionson the main frame 1 with recessed chambers therein. 9-a U shaped boltpassing through these chambers and engaging the upper jaw 2. 10-bracketsupon the main frame. 1.1lugs cast upon the front face of the main frame1 and extending to the sides thereof as shown. 12-a flange or collar atthe rear of the main frame 1. 13a pin on which a spring is mounted. 14=apin for the jaws 2 and 3 mounted in the brackets 10. 15-an extension onthe main frame 1 forming a recess in which the links 5 and lower jaw 3operate as shown in Fig. 3. 16a roller upon the end of the operatinglever. 17nuts on the ends of the U shaped bolt 9. 18a coiled springwound about the post 13 and engaging the lower jaw 3. 19coiled springsmounted upon the U shaped bolt 9. 20-an ordinary tram way carriagemounted on wheels 21 rolling on track 22. 23a hanger for the rod carriedby the pin 2 upon the carriage 20. 25slots in the hanger 23 adapted tohave the lugs 11 pass therethrough. 26a traction rope upon which thegripping jaws are used. 27the bail oi the bucket 28 in which the load iscarried. v

Numerals bearing the prime mark indicate the same parts as those withoutsaid markbut in a (li'flerent position.

' Taking up iirstthe gripping mechanism The upper grippingjaw"2-'is'pivotccl at 14- and has its operativearm s engaged by are;cempless'ioa springs 1 9 and the U bolt"9 with the res'ult thatwhen'viewed' as inFig 1 amt-13 the-jaw is nermally pi-essed' 'ifi a;counterclockwise direction by jean springs Y but may" when properlyenergized "move" in the' opp'osit'e directiOn againS't the action ofsaidsprings. lh'e' tension of these's rings' maybe varied byadjusting'the nut17. The opposite jaw 3 is I also pivotedupon' the same sliaftieand has'its operatitearmsr conne'e'tetl'by a link 5 to the lever l-fThis" lever is adapted to swing between the dotted line and full linepositionsoli' Fig? 3 area tweenop'enand closed'positions oi the grippingjaw's. The device is so mounted'th'at the roller IGupOn' thc lever 1' 1"enga es' oneoi- -'the ordinary tripping "device's oi a wirerope"transmiss'ion' syste'into" automatically move itirom either one ofthese-positions to the" other as required in" the operation" of thedevice. When the parts are in full line position the jaws are absolutelylocked because the pivotal points of connection between the lever 2 andthe lever 3 are in line with each other and the pivotal point 6 of thelever 4, and therefore the jaw can only be moved by applying a forcesufficient to move the lever 4 upward from its full line position. Whenthe parts are thus gripped upon a rope any variation in the size of therope is readily taken care of by the yielding action of the spring 19,said spring yielding to the movement of the jaw 2 when a very large ropeis between the jaws and pressing said jaw hard against the rope evenwhen a smaller rope is used and these adjustments take placeautomatically if it is attempted to use these jaws upon differentportions of a rope having portions varying in size. It will thus be seenthat the device is auto.- matically adjustable for taking care ofdifferent sized ropes this in combination with automatic locking whichholds the jaws rigidly in position. In order to assist the jaws inreleasing when unlocking is attempted the spring 18 is provided exertinga slight upward pressure on the arm of the lever 3.

To attach the unitary device of this invention just described to thehanger of any car. rier such as hanger 23 attached to the frame 20 andwheels 21 a circular hole is made in that hanger adapted to receive thecurved face of the casting 1 and to be engaged by the flange 12, thecasting being inserted through said opening in the member 23 until theflange 12 is in contact with said member 23. When in this position theframe 1 may be rotated within the member 23, to different angularpositions corresponding to the angularity of the rope to which the jawsare attached thereby allowing the rope to pull the hanger 23 through thegripping aws 1 and 3 without there being any danger of injuring the jawsdue to the fact that the traction rope is not in line with the centralaxis of the jaws. In order to prevent the whole device dropping out ofthe hanger 23 any sort of a securing mechanism may be applied to thefront of the casting 1, one form of which is here shown. This consistsin applying two lugs 11 to opposite sides of the front of the main frame1 and providing two corresponding sized and shaped openings 25 at thetop I and bottom of the opening in the member 23 in which the main frame1 fits. I11 applying the mechanism to the hanger the frame 1 is rotateduntil the lugs 11 are in line with and 1 l slip through the openings 25after which the frame 1 is rotated to its normal position with theresult that the frame 1 and attached parts can not be removed until itis again rotated through ninety degrees from its normal position shownin the figures to the position in which the lugs 11 register with theopenings 25. In other words a sort of a bay 1 onet lock is provided bymeans of which the frame 1 may be inserted in the hanger 23 andafterward freely rotated.

In the operation of the device the operator first inserts the main frame1 in the hanger 23 in the manner just described and moves the entiretrolley with attached mechanism into approximate contact with thetraveling traction rope 26 the jaws being open or in dotted lineposition of Fig. 3. He then moves the device along the track 22 untilthe roller 16 strikes the switch not shown, provided for the purposewhich throws the lever 4 from the dotted line position of Fig. 3, to thefull line position thereby gripping the jaws upon the rope 26 the jawsadjusting themselves against the action of the springs 19 in the mannerdescribed and the whole device adjusting itself to the angularity of therope 26 with the hanger by rotating the entire mechanism within thehanger 23 in the manner described. I/Vhen the trolley or bucket reachesits destination roller 16 now in the full line position of Fig. 2engages an unlocking switch not shown, of ordinary. construction whichthrows the lever 4 to the dotted line position of Fig. 3 therebyreleasing the mechanism from the traction rope.

The claims are:

1. In a device of the class described, gripping jaws for a tractionrope, a suitable supporting frame for said gripping jaws, a hanger forthe object to be transported through the agency of said gripping jawsengaging said traction rope, providing journal bearings for thesupporting frame engaging the hanger, and a pair of lugs on the oppositeside of the supporting frame also engaging the hanger in all positionsexcept one, in which position they are adapted to slip through openingsin the hanger so that the supporting frame may be removed as described.

2. In mechanism of the class described, the combination of a suitableframe, two gripping jaws mounted opposite each other and adapted toengage each other, mechanism engaging one of said jaws capable of beingswung to two different positions for the purpose of moving said jawbetween open and closed position of the aws, and yielding springmechanism connected to the other jaw whereby said jaw may automaticallyadjust itself to varying sizes of rope.

3. In mechanism of the class described, the combination of a suitableframework, two oppositely disposed jaws pivotally mounted thereon, alever mechanism for moving one of the jaws between different positionsand a coil spring mounted in a suitable housing engaging the oppositejaw for the purpose of holding it adjustably in contact with the otherjaw.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of the mainframe, gripping jaws normally lying inside said main frame, pivotallymounted in operative position with reference to each other, hollowextension members upon said frame having coiled springs therein engagingone of said jaws to adjustably hold it in position and a lever mechanismfor operating the other jaw.

5. In mechanism of the class described the unitary mechanism comprisingthe combination of the cylindrical supporting frame having the openingtherethrough, the hollow housings 8 extending therefrom containing thesprings 19 and a U sha ed bolt therefor, the gripping jaws operativeymounted partly Within the supporting frame one jaw in operativerelation with the springs 19 and the other in operative relation with asuitable operating and locking lever mechanism as and for the purposesset forth.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a suitableframe, a pair of gripping jaws one pivotally mounted with reference tothe other, an operating lever pivoted on the frame, a connecting linkbetween the gripping jaw and the operating lever, the ivotal points ofconnection between the ever, the link and the frame and between the linkand the jaw being so located that they are in line with each other whenthe jaw is closed for the purposes set forth.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presenceof two witnesses.

RUGELEY D. SEYMOUR.

Vlfitnesses DWIGHT B. CnEnvER, O. J. OHRIsToFFEL.

